Honda 0 Series EV prototypes debut, to be made in US in 2026

Honda 0 SUV arrives first in North America in early 2026 Honda 0 Saloon arrives in the later half of the year, likely as a niche flagship Production of both models begins this year in Ohio  Honda showed off near-production-ready prototypes of the Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Following the Honda 0 concepts introduced last year at CES 2024, Honda confirmed the prototypes will advance to production in 2026 at the brand's new EV Hub in Ohio.  The crossover is scheduled to go on sale first in North America in the first half of 2026, before being sold globally. The more futuristic sedan is slated to go on sale late in 2026 in North America, with global sales to follow. Honda called out Europe and Japan specifically as part of its global markets, with no mention of China. Honda 0 SUV prototype Honda's push to distance itself from General Motors in the EV space has long begun, even though the Honda Prologue has been a surprise hit. Built in partnership with GM and using GM's formerly known Ultium propulsion system, the Prologue outsold both the related Chevy Blazer EV and the less expensive Equinox EV, thanks in part to aggressive leasing deals. The Prologue and Blazer EV have different personalities based on our head-to-head testing. The Prologue finished with about 33,000 units sold on the year, which was about 43% more than the Blazer EV. Retooling of the Marysville Auto Plant, where the Honda Accord, Acura TLX, and Acura Integra are made, and retooling of the East Liberty plant where the Civic, CR-V, and Acura RDX and MDX are made, began late in 2024 to make way for the two 0 Series models at the vanguard of Honda's battery electric vehicle plans. Honda 0 Saloon prototype In questions from the press, American Honda dodged any relationship with Afeela, the electric vehicle startup made in partnership with Sony and Honda. Its first sedan is due to debut in 2026, and it will be produced out of the Ohio EV Hub. Honda provides the EV platform and propulsion technologies used in the 0 Series models to Afeela. Other details such as dimensions, motor units, battery pack sizes, and other specs for the Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon remain thin. A steer-by-wire system promises to unify other electronic control units for the suspension and brakes to optimize handling in the Honda way. The Prologue's handling was one of the things we noted as superior to the Blazer EV. Honda 0 Series platform prototype (Accord) A brief Honda 0 Series prototype test drive in Japan last October showcased a thin, low battery pack, smaller e-axles than used in most other EVs, an air suspension, and a long wheelbase with virtually no overhangs. Previously, Honda said the 0 Series will eventually have lightweight, energy-dense battery packs that can charge from 15%-80% in just 10-15 minutes, and will lose no more than 10% of their original capacity and range after 10 years of use. Additionally, Honda targets a 300-mile range for 0 Series models. Still, specifics were not shared for the prototypes shown at CES 2025. But, in a walkaround of the two vehicles, the prototypes provided plenty to be excited about. Honda 0 SUV prototype Honda 0 SUV looks ready to roll The electric crossover looks more production-ready and more consumer friendly than the Space-Hub van concept that debuted last year. From the B-pillars forward, it looks more upright than the Prologue yet curved for aero and dappled with a futuristic light signature. Running lights stacked like ice cube trays stretch the vertical face, which has a shelf separating the lower grille and splitter. Rounded wheel arches and high body sides give way to a compact greenhouse with a windshield that arcs into a glass roof. It would be distinctive but not surprising on roadways now. Except for the garlic-bulb rear end. From the C-pillars back it could pass for a cargo van in optimizing cargo space. The roof barely arcs before dropping off the vertical tailgate. The same Honda lettering from the Prologue stamps the big back end of the Honda 0 SUV, and a U-shaped taillight rings the back. A shelf back here separates the gate from the lower bumper and taillights. The gate reveals a boxy cargo area with upper shelves hidden in the rear quarters. It embraces Honda's "Thin, Light, and Wise" design philosophy, and the spacious cabin follows suit, with a 6-foot-4 gentleman fitting in both the front and back seats with enough headroom and legroom.  It remains to be seen if the dash's wall of screens will go into production but we doubt it, since the outer flanks of the screens are the side mirror camera projections used instead of actual side mirrors. Those side cameras remain illegal in the U.S. The prototype also has a yoke steering wheel, and a wide open floor plan we hope will make it to production. There are no visible control buttons or dials. Honda 0 Saloon prototype Honda 0 Saloon stretches the concept of Honda   Across the floor, the Honda 0 Saloon sedan expands the possibilities of what a Honda can be. With its kammback rear and its wedge-like nose that evokes supercars of the 1980s, the Saloon prototype looks strikingly similar to the concept. Integrated headlights lurk low in the wedge over a pointy, light-ringed splitter. The slim headlights sit flush in its angular nose, and can be covered with power doors when not in use, also reminiscent of the '70s and '80s. Massive 23- or 24-inch wheels with aero covers lurk in the wheel wells with virtually no gap, and the front axle sits under where the cowl begins. That's one slender dash-to-axle ratio. Like the 0 SUV, the full glass roof stretches long and flat toward the rear, which kicks up like a fat whale's tail. It's unclear how it opens from the rear, as there is a concentric ring of 3D lights where any rear window or hatch glass would normally be. It looks like no Honda ever, and this 0 Series flagship should be projected to be the more niche offering versus the more populist 0 SUV.  Honda demonstrated the ingress feature of the low slung Saloon. When getting in or out, the yoke steering wheel automatically turns upside down without turning the wheels. The driver's seat slides back so you can get in or out without hitting your thighs on the bottom of the yoke. Honda 0 SUV prototype  Honda 0 Series Asimo Operating System The Asimo Operating System designed and built by Honda will manage the electronic control units for advanced driver-assist systems and vehicle infotainment systems, and with over-the-air updates it promises to customize the vehicle ownership experience throughout its lifetime. The OS takes its name from the humanoid robot Honda introduced to the world in 2000, and Asimo will be used in all 0 Series models. Honda 0 SUV prototype  Honda debuts Level 3 hands-free driving on 0 Series Honda also claims it will debut its Level 3 autonomous driving system in the two 0 Series models, but Honda reps acknowledged that regulatory hurdles remain in the U.S. The system enables eyes-off and hands-off driving, so operators could travel long distances on limited roadways, but they would have to be engaged in the screens by streaming a movie or anything other than napping so they could be quickly triggered to take over driving if the system disengages. Honda has been using the system on roadways in Japan, but the patchwork of state laws in the U.S. make it a challenge here. Mercedes-Benz is the only automaker with a Level 3 system on roads in the U.S., and it's limited to Nevada and California.  Honda also announced future plans to partner with Renesas Electronics Corporation to make a high-performance processing chip that will let Honda employ a single core electronic control unit that encompasses all other control units. Honda also touted its nascent Ionna charging network being developed with seven other automakers to deploy reliable high-speed fast charging at 30,000 stations across North America by 2030. Since the 0 Series models will have native NACS ports, Honda expects 0 Series owners to have access to 100,000 public charging stations by 2030 as well. A customized charging service built using Amazon Web Services is also under development. 

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